Hiiraan Online

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Nur Bahal

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

 

Dr. Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalo

Among many other things, the chief characteristic of the 21^st century is the internet that opened up the gates of communication and closed the vast distances between continents and communities. The unrestricted nature of its cyber-communication turned local issues into International battlegrounds. This has special connotations for Somalia. The proxy wars over Somalia are not only taking place in the battlefield but also in cyberspace as local opponents hire pens to surpass their adversaries in the propaganda campaign. Some of these hired pens submerge themselves in vulgarity and a sheer lack of human decency so that they could create more fodder for further animosity within the Somali community.

The first time I saw the writings of a Dr. Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalomatis is when he reprinted one of my articles about the risks that may lead Somaliland’s peace astray. Despite the fact that my article addressed the Government, the Guurti (House of Elders) and the Opposition Parties, and admonished them, to sustain the peace and avoid to be sucked back into the abyss of confrontations and clan partisanship, he wrongly used it as the seal of slander against the President of Somaliland. Others have also related similar incidences of articles he twisted to suite his arguments. This is clearly an infringement on the moral rights of the writers.

The recent developments in Somalia make clear that Sheikh Sharif is totally detached from the Somali reality, held captive in his fake dream, and acts under disastrous misguidance offered by UN envoy; if he fails to understand that he is the reason the Somalis kill one another today, numerous Somalis will find a way to explain the tragic issue to the immoral sheikh.

 http://www.buzzle.com/articles/immoral-cynical-sheikh-sharif-turns-somalia-to-bloodbath-serving-only-the-somalis-worst-enemies.html

There are a number of problems with his above statement:

1. He claims that recent developments in Somalia make clear that the President is detached from the Somali reality.

The Somali reality is one of civil war, the blood of the innocent being spilled by a variety of perpetrators; it is one of tribal, political and religious hegemony all waged at the expense of innocent civilians; it is of groups and individuals void of conscience and humanity. It is about death and destruction; it is about the failure of a nation, the collapse of her institutions, law and order. That is the Somali reality.

Sheikh Sharif has been in that reality since the ICU came into the scene. He was one of the founding members of Islamic Courts Union and it is widely related that he began the Islamic Courts because of the abduction of one of his students. So, unless the Dr. is hinting at a “camel behind the tree”, we can not conclude that Sheikh Sharif is detached from that reality

If the Professor intends the recent developments to mean the uncompromising opposition by his former ICU peers, and not the deluge of battles that took place just before he wrote the above statement, it is imperative for him to understand the two faces to the ICU story – a group that wants to end the suffering at any cost vs. a group that wants to lead the country at any cost. He needs to know that religion is not one of those faces but just a façade presented to conveniently complicate a proper understanding of the rules of engagement. First, The TFG has proven that they want solutions by negotiations. The fact that it was built in Djibouti is neither consequential to the crux of the argument nor significant enough to deter any peace-loving group from coming to the discussion table and engaging the TFG and the Somali people on a meaningful end to the detracted war. Secondly, Alshabab is not interested in the implementation of Islam. They are rather using Islam as a tool of intimidation. As for Xisbul Islam, the Chairman, Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys has repeatedly stated that the war is not about religion but rather about politics. At least he has the decency to shy away from using Islam as a rubber stamp.

The President has repeatedly extended an olive branch to these two groups asking them to sit down with him to sort out their differences and chart a peaceful road for the nation.  As any one, who in the least, wishes an end to the appalling bloodshed in Somalia would agree, talking is a far better option then war. So, how is the President detached from the Somali reality unless Megalommatis is not really telling us what kind “reality” he talks about in his short barrage?

2. The Professor also says:” …held captive in his fake dream, and acts under disastrous misguidance offered by UN envoy…”

What makes Sheikh Sharif’s dream fake? What is his dream? Moreover, how does Professor Megalommatis know about it? Let us suppose for a moment that Sheikh Sharif dreams to be the president of a united, stable Somalia. Where is the fake in that? Is he not entitled to dream big? On the other hand, is the Professor alluding to the all-common Somali disease, tribalism? If so, who put that in his mouth? He is the only one who can explain and I’d love to see one. As for the supposed misguidance offered by the UN envoy, well, the professor’s conspiracy theory thinking becomes more than clear when you read his other article on: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/somalia-foreign-policy-diagram-for-sheikh-hassan-dahir-aweys-hizbul-islam-and-shabaab.html

Believers in conspiracy theory have a lot in common with fundamentalists. They both reduce daunting social problems to oversimplified insinuations and blame them on local individuals in power and foreign organizations/nations. In the case in point, it is easier to blame the Sharif, the UN, the AU, international organizations and foreign nations for Somalia’s problems rather than the Somalis themselves or actually those who were not part of the solution – Xisbul Islam and Al-Shabab. Something else that they share is an overwhelming arrogance that they are always right without offering to provide any proofs. When questioned on specific issues they pile more complications on top of existing ones just to confound the issue even more. Although they both require everyone to think alike, fundamentalists believe in a strict version of uniform communal thought and action and prefer imposing harsh punishments because leniency opens the doors of individual thinking. And they do not want that at any cost.

Both groups always enjoy the company of other fringe groups and organizations that extend moral and/or material support without questions as a quid pro quo. In the latter article, “foreign policy diagram for Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, Hizbul Islam and shabaab”, Megalomatis recommends a lists of organizations he thinks will likely provide recognition and support to Hizbul Islam and Alshabab. It is interesting to note that almost all of them are fringe organizations but it is also very important to note that he included Sedevacantist group within the Catholic Church among those groups. Sedevacatism is derived from the word “sede vacate” (Latin and Italian) – empty seat. According to Wikipedia Sedevacatism is the position held by a minority of Traditionalist Catholics who claim that the Papal See (seat) has been vacant since either the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958 or Pope John XXIII in 1963. They believe that if a pope espouses or accepts modernism he has contradicted the Catholic dogmas and therefore it is as if the Papal Seat is vacant. The similarity is astounding; Sheikh Sharif espouses Islamic liberalism and likewise, Alshabab and Hisbul Islam believe that the Presidential seat is vacant. His list of potential alliances for Alshabab and Hisbul Islam goes on an on: Venezuala, Bolivia, the Italian Government of Berlusconi (not knowing that Italy is the first European nation that decides to open its Embassy in Mogadishu after 18 years), the Vatican (that Sedevacantists that is), Poland, Ukraine – I cannot understand his reasons for thinking that Poland and Ukraine would support Hizbul Islam and Alshabab – the anti-Nato Turkish Military establishment… But the fatuousnesses does not end their.

3. Megalomatis goes on to make the most absurd accusation and says about Sheikh Sharif that “…if he fails to understand that he is the reason the Somalis kill one another today...”  

How is Sheikh Sharif the reason that Somalis are killing themselves when it all began with him not even in the picture - 18 years ago?  But then, I may be looking at this all wrong! Sheikh Sharif might in fact be the reason that Somalis are killing each other today because he is in the way of groups who have sinister plans for Somalia. The “my way or no way” attitude of the opposition groups is the reason Somalis are killing each other. Why can’t Hizbul Islam and Alshabab become a full-fledged political organization and wait for an election instead of shedding blood? It is because they cannot win an election and so they choose to coerce, intimidate, chop peoples’ limbs and force their way into office along with their foreign fighters. They are afraid to leave their destiny in the hands of the public. They want to rule by any means. They do not realize that unless you accept to be ruled, you do not have the right to rule.

4. Calling Sheikh Sharif “immoral” will not enforce your argument against him stronger. It is not the language of a learned person. His arguments, regardless of whether he supports the TFG, Alshabab or Hizbul Islam should be based on deductive analysis and not on mud slinging.

Finally, there is a caption at the end of the article which reads “Picture: The liar and the dreamer in Af Somali (language) is called Sheikh Sharif.” Well, this puts Megalommatis in a group by himself. This is a testament to how low one can sink in his attempts to smear. According to him, Sheikh means “liar” in Somali and Sharif means “dreamer”. With all due respect, would you just shut up! If we take that to its natural conclusion, then Megalommatis also means “Megalomania” in Greek.

He must be writing this gibberish for the benefit of someone and the fact that he boisterously elevates Alshabab and Hizbul Islam points the finger at these two organizations or their hardline sympethizers. I cannot say it for sure; I can say, however, that Megalomatis is a hired pen. Moreover, for a hired pen, he is doing more damage then good. The use of vulgarity and demeanors only take away from the substance of the argument.